Mad Hatter’s Tea Party

In a country where afternoon high tea is a ritualized art form, it’s rare to come across a new take on the traditional standby featuring dainty crustless sandwiches, bottomless pots of Earl Grey and scones heaped with lashings of clotted cream.

But over the weekend I attended an altogether new take on high tea, the Sanderson Hotel’s Mad Hatter’s Afternoon Tea Party. Launched in March in conjunction with the Alice in Wonderlandmovie, this is no ordinary afternoon tea. Among the unusual (but delicious!) offerings are a Queen of Hearts teacake that melts in your mouth once the chocolate and strawberry shell is broken, a Hazelnut and Passion fruit tart that comes with a White Rabbit’s pocket watch, and pineapple lollipops that turn from hot to cold on your tongue.

The sandwiches, too, are imbued with a psychedelic touch: the ham and English mustard comes on yellow saffron bread and smoked salmon with cream cheese is served on green spinach bread. Due to the tea’s popularity, it will be running through the summer daily from 2.30pm – 5.30pm. —Joni Rendon